PM John Briceño Assesses Flooding Damage
Government officials are assessing the damage and planning for recovery efforts in the Cayo District. In an interview today with Prime Minister John Briceño, he said, “It was important for me to come and take a first-hand look as to what has happened and the amount of damage.” He said that a flyover revealed that the Chalillo Dam is overflowing, with more water expected to flow down the Belize River, which could worsen flooding in areas like San Ignacio and surrounding villages.
“Lots of water… more and more water is going to be coming down the Macal and on to San Ignacio and Santa Elena,” Briceño stated. Many villagers rely on nearby rivers for drinking water, which could be contaminated by overflow from latrines during the floods. Briceño warned, “We have to be actually on the lookout to ensure that nobody gets, you know, in particular cholera or gets sick because of the water being contaminated.”
Farmers have also been severely impacted, with hundreds of acres of crops, especially in Cayo Central and other areas, underwater. “A lot of small farmers… have lost their crop,” Briceño said, adding that there has also been significant damage to infrastructure, including bridges and roads.
While it’s too early to estimate the total cost of the damage, officials acknowledge the situation is “quite substantial.” Recovery efforts are already underway, with teams from the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) conducting assessments.
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